People's Alliance drops candidate for making Islamophobic comments online

People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin has dropped one of the party's election candidates because she complained online about the number of Muslims immigrating to this country.

As of Wednesday, Memramcook-Tantramar's Heather Collins is no longer a candidate for the party just five days before the New Brunswick election on Sept. 14.

She's the third election candidate to be dropped this week by apolitical party in the province.

"As soon as Mr. Austin was aware of her candidacy, she was no longer welcome," said Laverne Stewart, a spokesperson for the Alliance.

In a tweet from June 2019, Collins said Muslim people are the only people let into Canada and it's "sickening."

In an earlier tweet, Collins shared a video of a man hitting a Muslim women, saying "this is what is coming to Canada if people don't wake up and wake up soon."

Collins accompanied People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin on the campaign trail during an announcement in Riverview on Tuesday.

This isn't the first time candidates running for the People's Alliance have been outspoken on social media.

In 2017, People's Alliance candidatePaul Seelye in Saint John Lancaster said on Facebookthat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "stands in gay parades while the Bible is pushed aside." He also reposted criticisms of official bilingualism.

Seelye isrunning in the Saint John Lancaster riding again this year.

And formerAlliance candidate, Terry Collette in Miramichi Bay-Neguac, posted conspiracy theories about 9/11, Atlantis, and a supposed cover-up of life on Mars. He has also shared material claiming that Israel controls the terrorist group ISIS.

PCs and Liberals each drop candidates

Earlier in the week, former Victoria-La VallePC candidate Roland Michaudand former Saint-Croix Liberal candidate John Gardner, an openly gay man,weredropped from the party overderogatory comments online about the LGBTQ community.

In a Facebook post two years ago, Gardner said it was important to recognize everyone, not just minority groups,after the Village of Chipmanmade headlines for raising a straight pride flag.

Michaud shared a meme in 2018 from a Facebook page called Guy Stuff that referenced a2016 decision by Target stores to allow "transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity."

Both Michaud and Gardner have said they're still running and will sit as Independents if they win.

All three dropped candidates will still appear on ballots with their former party affiliation, since the ballots are already printed.